Matter-wave phase operators for quantum atom optics: On the possibility of experimental verification

TL;DR

This paper explores the feasibility of measuring quantum phase operators in matter-waves of ultracold atoms, demonstrating potential for experimental verification similar to optical phase measurements, with implications for quantum atom optics.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of matter-wave phase operators and discusses their experimental verification, bridging optical quantum phase measurement techniques to matter-waves.

Findings

Quantum and classical phases differ at low atom numbers.

At large atom numbers, quantum and classical phases converge.

Matter-wave phase measurement is feasible with current atom optics technology.

Abstract

In early 90's Mandel and coworkers performed an experiment \cite{mandel} to examine the significance of quantum phase operators by measuring the phase between two optical fields. We show that this type of quantum mechanical phase measurement is possible for matter-waves of ultracold atoms in a double well. In the limit of low number of atoms quantum and classical phases are drastically different. However, in the large particle number limit, they are quite similar. We assert that the matter-wave counterpart of the experiment \cite{mandel} is realizable with the evolving technology of atom optics.